Lawrence County, Kentucky
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,860. Its county seat is Louisa. The county is named for James Lawrence, and co-founded by Isaac Bolt, who served as a Lawrence County Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. Lawrence County is the home of bluegrass music and country music star Ricky Skaggs. It is the birthplace of the late Chief Justice of the United States Frederick Moore Vinson and former Kentucky Governor Paul E. Patton. In regard to alcoholic beverage sales, Lawrence County is a wet county as of 2014, meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages is no longer prohibited everywhere in the county. History Lawrence County was established in 1821 from land given by Floyd and Greenup Counties. Four courthouses have served Lawrence County; the first was completed in 1823. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. The bridge from Louisa, in eastern Lawrence County, to Fort Gay, West Virginia is something of a geographic and architectural oddity. The quarter-mile concrete span spans across the Levisa Fork and the Tug River that come together and form the Big Sandy River, connects two states and has a right turn at its halfway point, which connects traffic to the Point Section neighborhood of Louisa. Yatesville Lake State Park Yatesville Lake was opened in 1992 and is a reservoir managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Yatesville Lake provides flood control for the region as well as recreational opportunities. The Corps manages a boat ramp at the Rich Creek area. Adjacent counties *Carter County (northwest) *Boyd County (north) *Wayne County, West Virginia (east) *Martin County (southeast) *Johnson County (south) *Morgan County (southwest) *Elliott County (west) Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} As of the census of 2000, there were 15,569 people, 5,954 households, and 4,477 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,040 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.93% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,954 households out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.30% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $21,610, and the median income for a family was $26,113. Males had a median income of $30,735 versus $19,174 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,008. About 25.30% of families and 30.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.00% of those under age 18 and 27.30% of those age 65 or over. Politics in Louisa]] Communities *Blaine *Cherryville *Fallsburg *Kise *Louisa (county seat) *Ulysses *Lowmansville *Webbville See also *Dry counties *National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Kentucky References External links *Lawrence County Schools *Lawrence County Tourism Commission *The Kentucky Highlands Project Category:Counties of Kentucky Category:Lawrence County, Kentucky Category:Dry counties of Kentucky Category:Counties of Appalachia Category:1821 establishments in Kentucky Category:Settlements established in 1821